According to CBS St. Louis, Sam believes his on-field accomplishments should have warranted him a spot in one of the first three rounds of the draft.

“From last season alone, I should’ve been in the first three rounds. SEC Defensive Player of the Year, All-American,” Sam said during a conference call, adding that other teams chickened out on selecting him.

Sam stopped short of directly saying his stock dropped in the draft because he came out.

“You know what, who knows? Who knows? Only the people who sit in the war room know,” he said. “They saw Michael Sam, day after day they scratched it off the board. That was their loss. But St. Louis kept me on that board. And you know what I feel like I’m a (Jadeveon) Clowney, a first draft pick. I’m proud of where I am now.”

Sam will have his opportunity to prove that he was worth an earlier pick when the Rams open training camp. It will be interesting to see how Sam’s career develops from here, with the intense media focus he is sure to receive on a daily basis.